The Shandan Great Buddha Temple, a cherished Buddhist site nestled in the heart of Shandan in Northwest China’s Gansu Province, was sadly engulfed in flames early Monday morning. This ancient temple, home to a revered national representative Buddha, was struck by an unforeseen fire that, fortunately, led to no casualties but resulted in the wooden outbuilding of the temple being razed.
Boasting a status of a national 4A-level tourist attraction, the Shandan Great Buddha Temple is a remarkable architectural complex that was inaugurated in 1998. It is most celebrated for the Great Buddha’s Hall, an imposing 7-story wooden structure that measures 39 meters in height, 30 meters in length, and 27 meters in width. Unfortunately, this hall was the structure that bore the brunt of the fire.
The extensive rescue operation saw the swift response of 46 firefighters, supported by 9 fire trucks, effectively managing to contain the fire by 10 am on Monday. The cause of the fire remains undetermined, subject to further investigation.
According to a statement released by the local authority in Shandan on Tuesday, the fire thankfully did not reach the historical wall ruins within the temple’s architectural complex. These were preserved immaculately, while the wooden edifice of the Great Buddha’s Hall suffered significant damage.
The Hall had housed the nation’s largest indoor Buddha clay statue, a majestic piece standing at a height of 35 meters and seated on a three-meter-tall lotus pedestal. Along with the colossal reclining Buddha of Zhangye and the standing Buddha of Wuwei, it is one of the “Three Great Buddhas of Hexi Corridor”, a cherished line of oases in Gansu.
Following the incident, videos surfacing on Chinese social media depict the indoor Buddha, now partially exposed to the open sky and showing signs of fire damage. The wooden structure that formerly housed it was reduced to debris.
A local resident, referred to as Cai, recounted to the Global Times that the temple had undergone a year-long renovation in 2021. It has been a popular spot among locals, although less frequented by tourists from other provinces.
The Shandan Great Buddha Temple, established more than 1,500 years ago during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), has withstood the test of time. The temple had seen multiple renovations during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. As recently as 2022, the temple staff had carried out a comprehensive upgrade, improving vital systems such as circuit lighting, fire protection, monitoring, and security.
Lei Ai, the head of the temple’s renovation team, highlighted that they used pine wood imported from Russia for the repairs, and natural mineral-based pigments for the painted patterns.
Situated at the foot of the scenic Liaogao Mountain and just five kilometers away from Shandan county in Zhangye, the temple is renowned globally for its Buddhist cultural relics and natural attractions, including the unique Danxia landform. Despite the recent misfortune, the temple remains a symbol of enduring spiritual heritage and history.
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